Brooklyn woman charged with trafficking firearms and selling illegal drugs

January 12, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Ariana Charles, 28, of Brooklyn, was indicted on Thursday on charges of trafficking 18 firearms and narcotics in the Breukelen Houses in Canarsie.
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY

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Ariana Charles, 28, of Brooklyn, has been indicted on Thursday on charges of trafficking 18 firearms into the borough and selling narcotics, including cocaine base and fentanyl.

The indictment, unveiled at the federal courthouse in Downtown Brooklyn, marks a significant crackdown under the new gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

“As alleged, the defendant brazenly trafficked firearms and deadly drugs to the streets of Brooklyn, feeding the cycle of gun violence and drug abuse endangering our community,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “This office will not relent in its efforts to keep the community safe by investigating and prosecuting those who seek to profit from the proliferation of guns and fentanyl which have destroyed so many lives.”

According to the indictment, Charles sold firearms and narcotics around the Breukelen Houses in Canarsie. Many of the firearms, including some with defaced serial numbers and semi-automatic rifles, were purchased in Virginia and Georgia before being transported to New York. The sales were often conducted in public places like shopping center parking lots.

A key aspect of the investigation involved an undercover law enforcement officer (UC), who interacted with Charles under the guise of a drug dealer. This officer recorded numerous transactions where Charles sold firearms and narcotics, believing the UC intended to resell them. In these interactions, Charles sold about eight grams of fentanyl, disguised as Oxycodone pills, and approximately 98 grams of cocaine base.

The charges against Charles stem from a broader investigation into illegal activities in the Breukelen Houses area. Four of her co-conspirators were previously indicted and are currently awaiting trial.

If convicted, Charles faces up to 20 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, and James Simmons.